PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Alec Bohm conceded that, yes, the Phillies and Twins will never know how the game might have turned had a borderline called strike three been ruled ball four and loaded the bases for Bryce Harper.
But Bohm thought the Phillies were in the right to find out.
Bohm instead slammed his bat in anger — unlike a more joyous spike in recent Philadelphia history — got tossed from the game and his manager soon followed him into the clubhouse, ejected for arguing balls and strikes.
Twins reliever Caleb Thielbar retired slugger Kyle Schwarber and fanned Bohm to escape a bases-loaded jam in the seventh that preserved a 3-0 win over the Phillies on Sunday.
“He’s a fearless guy,” Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said of his reliever. ”That’s big-time stuff. Going in there, the crowd’s into the game, he goes at really good hitters and he beat them. He beat them today. I like giving him the ball.”
Sonny Gray tossed two-hit ball over six shutout innings and Jordan Luplow homered.
The AL Central leaders bounced back from a 13-2 loss in the series opener to win the last two games and hand the Phillies their ninth shutout of the season. Gray (6-5) struck out seven and pitched into the sixth inning in his eighth straight start.
Gray allowed just two singles and otherwise quieted a Phillies’ offense that had hit 20 homers over the last eight games.
Yet after 80 pitches, that was enough for Gray.
It almost cost the Twins.
Griffin Jax allowed two singles and hit a batter to load the bases with one out and to send the Philly crowd into a frenzy. Thielbar got the call from the bullpen and the lefty got the left-handed slugger Schwarber to pop out. Thielbar then went to a full count on Bohm and caught him looking at strike three on a close call at the knees. Bohm spiked his bat like teammate Rhys Hoskins did after a memorable postseason home run last year, except his was in frustration, not excitement.
Bohm was promptly ejected by plate umpire Alex MacKay.
“We’re trying to win a game. Big spot,” Bohm said. “I felt like I did all I could do. I felt like the bat was kind of taken out of my hands. But it’s a bunch of humans out there. Mistakes happen and it is what it is.”
MacKay was serenaded by “Ump, you suck!” chants in the eighth.
The chants only grew louder after Thielbar struck out Harper to open the inning. Thomson was then ejected after a brief, calm — but impolite — discussion with MacKay.
“That’s the last job I’d want, being an umpire,” Thomson said. “I think it’s very difficult. He missed the call on Bohm, but we had other opportunities to get things done.”
Emilio Pagán retired the last two batters in the eighth and Jhoan Durán worked the ninth for his 21st save.
The Phillies finished 6-4 on a 10-game homestand that kept them in first place in the NL wild-card standings. But consecutive losses were a sour end to a home stretch that included standing ovations for Trea Turner, a no-hitter by Michael Lorenzen, career homer No. 200 for Nick Castellanos, season homer No. 30 for Schwarber and first big league homers for Weston Wilson and Johan Rojas.
Phillies starter Ranger Suarez (2-6) tied his season high with eight strikeouts against the Twins but allowed Ludlow’s two-out homer in the first and Jorge Polanco’s RBI single in the third. Polanco added an RBI single in the ninth to help the Twins finish 3-4 on their seven-game road trip.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Thomson said Harper, who left one game early and missed another because of back spasms, could return to first base sometime this week after serving as the DH the last two games.
HOT TWINS
The Twins have a franchise-record 17 wins in interleague play and have won three straight series against NL teams. They have nine shutouts this season.
“I felt strong, almost better in the fourth, fifth, sixth than I did in the first couple,” Gray said.
LET’S CELEBRATE
The Phillies honored the 1983 and 1993 National League championship teams. Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt and Curt Schilling were among the players introduced before the game.
UP NEXT
Twins: Minnesota has a day off and then plays two games at home against Detroit. The Tigers send RHP Alex Faedo (2-4, 4.80 ERA) to the mound Tuesday against Twins RHP Bailey Ober (6-6, 3.40 ERA).
Phillies: Philadelphia is off Monday before playing a two-game set in Toronto. The Blue Jays send RHP Yusei Kikuchi (9-4, 3.53 ERA) to the mound Tuesday against Phillies RHP Zack Wheeler (9-5, 3.74 ERA).